After two decades since the initial release ofMortal Kombat: Deception, this title released during the series' 3D fighter period contains a standout feature that still shines against modern releases. With an RPG-inspired, story-driven adventure that takes the players across therealms ofMortal Kombatin Konquest mode, few other fighting games have ever come close to this level of commitment to a single-player narrative.
What made Konquest unique was how it addressed one of the primary issues with story modes in the genre by blending multiple types of gameplay together relatively seamlessly. By integrating quest design and popular character cameos into an immersive set of maps,Mortal Kombat: Deceptionwas able to transcend the typical boundaries of a 2D fighter’s narrative expression.
The RPG-Like Depth of Shujinko’s Quest Still Remains a Highlight of the Fighting Game Genre
Blending Third-Person Progression with MK’s Core Gameplay
Deceptionsees players following the protagonist Shujinko through his entire life, with multiple time skips and pivotal moments shaping his evolution into the character players might be more familiar with today. Guided by an entity known as Damashi, hetraversesMortal Kombat’s realmsin search of sacred Kamidogu artifacts through a mix of third-person exploration and subsequent 2D combat encounters which can be triggered. Training under variousMKfighters found during this journey then allows the player to transform into them in later battles, also making the mode double as a tutorial for learning the game’s roster.
Realizing the Series' Worldbuilding
Being able to walk through six ofMK’s realms provided what is still an unprecedented look into the franchise’s worldbuilding. Through exploring Earthrealm, Netherrealm, Chaosrealm, Outworld, Orderrealm, and even Edenia, Shujinko gets to experience the distinct environments and cultures of each locale in a manner that is only implied or referenced in more recent entries. The very map design of these realms is based around their core concepts, and a diverse cast of recognizable characters, several of which exclusively appeared in Konquest inDeception, can be found throughout them for different side quests and rewards. Across decades of Shujinko’s life, the player is able to see manytop icons ofMortal Kombat historynaturally inhabiting spaces with goals of their own in a way that can still seem remarkably organic.
An Appeal to Replayability in an Often Linear Genre
While it’s been a major trend to feature open-world exploration in gaming for several years now, this kind of approach was anything but that whenMortal Kombat: Deception’s rich Konquest modeexperimented with the concept in the early 2000s. This level of freedom hardly made sense in other fighting game series, which still often confine the player to completing fights to move forward through simple cutscenes, if that. In Konquest mode, however, being able to wander the realms to discover hidden unlockables, such as costumes and art, or take on side quests assigned by playable characters, can make it worth returning to for multiple playthroughs.
The Innovations of Konquest Mode Overshadow Its Weaknesses
Despite some clunky mechanics which were hard to avoid at the time, the ambition and scope of Konquest largely outweigh its technical shortcomings and cement it as one ofMortal Kombat’s best story modes. For a fighting game in the PS2 age to embrace open-world elements, in a title that was already experimenting with the likes of Chess Kombat, could be considered representative of one ofMK’s creative peaks. In the current state of the series, where more linear storytelling based around chapters has been the norm for multiple games in a row now, the polish and advancements of modern fidelity could even make a return to an idea likeKonquest a worthwhile prospect.
